Self-contained vacuum tank and pump



June 13, 1933.

Filed NOV. 25, 1951 L. DINESEN SELF CONTAINED VACUUM TANK ANDPUMP Patented June 13, 1933 PATENT* OFFICE LAUnITs DINESEN, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA SELF-CONTAINED. VACUUMl `TANK AND rum i Aiapucanon med November 25, 193i. seal 116.577,179.

My invention provides asimpleandhighefficient self-contained vacuum tank, pump and motor, especially `designed and adapted for use in connection with milking machines,

but adapted, nevertheless, for more general use.

` Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices, combinations of devices y and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims.` l y In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates acommercial form ofthe invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views'.

Referring to the drawing:

liig.` 1 is a view chiefly in side elevation, but with some parts in vertical section showing the complete self-contained device;

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing a portion of the pump casing, of the vacuum tank base, and the connected parts;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail in` section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a section `taken on the line4-4 of Fig. 1. i

The vacuum pump shown is of the two or opposed cylinder type and the casing'thereof is indicated by the numeral 5. This casing is provided with a suitable base 6 adapting it to be rigidly secured to the floor or to a supporting tank or shelf. The pump casing is provided with a centrally located upstanding pump suction tube 7 which, as shown, rises from a boss 8 formed on the top of the casing and through which air is drawn to the cylinders of the pump. Also the casing is provided with an air discharge port 9 shown as afforded by an elbow 9 having `a perforated air discharge cap 10. 40 i A tank suction tube 11 is shown as connected by` an elbow 12 to theinterior of a flanged pan-shaped vacuum tank baise 13. This base 13 has a central hub 14 placed `loosely around the lower portion of the pump vacuum tube as shown in Fig. 1.

A motor-supporting shelf 15 is detachably but rigidly secured to and on top of the pump casing 5. This shelf, as shown, has a perforated end which surrounds the base of the tube 7 and is pressed onto the boss 8 by 180 degrees to the left.

theh'ub 14. A nut 16 has threaded engagement with'the base portion of the tube 7 and withthe interior of the boss 8, and when l tightened, securely clamps the perforated end of shelf 15 between the boss 8 andhub f5 14. ,Suitable gaskets 16a are interposed between nut 16 and hub 14 to render the tank airtight. To further support the extended portion of theshelf 14 it is provided with a foot-forming flange 17 that is notched to 60 fit the flanged top of thepump casing. Here it will be notedthat the cylinders of the pump casing are symmetrically flanged and formed in their top portions so that the footV 17 "will fit the flanged top of eithercylinder, 65 therebyf adapting the shelf to be supported either as shown in Fig. 1, or when turned Thepump is arranged to be driven by an electric motor, the casing 18 of which formed with a flanged 70 base 19 shown assecured to the shelf bynutequipped `bolts 20, which as shown, are passedthrough said flanged base, through the shelf and through the flanged topof the foot-'forming flange 17. The rotor `of this 75 motor drives the vacuum pump through a belt 21. The pump illustrated may and preferably is the type of pump disclosed and claimed in my prior Patent No. 1,632,436, entitled Reciprocating pump issued of date June14, 1927. "y `V The vacuumtank 22 whichis preferably made `of sheet steel is an inverted drum with closed upper end and open lower end of a diameter adapting it to be telescope-d into the flange of the base 13. Somewhat above its lower end, this tank is provided with an outstanding annular flange 23 and between this `flange and the top of the flange of the base 13 is placed a pliable 4gasket 90 24. The tank is thus gravity-seated in such manner that under partial vacuum or suction from within the tank, the gasket will be placed under increased pressure and the air-tight joint will be insured. Otherwise stated, the greater the suction or vacuum the tighter will i be the joint between the tank and the base.

Under the operation of the` pump, air will be drawn through the tank through the pipe 11, and from the tank to the pump, through pipe 7, and under continued use, there will be a watercondensation that will be caught in the tank base and held as long as the pump is in operation. To automatically permit a discharge of the condensed water from the base of the tank whenever the pump stops and the pressure in the tank is restored to atmospheric pressure, I provide an automatic drain device which, as shown, includes a short drain tube 25, shown as screwed into a perforated boss formed in the bottom of the base 13. At the lower end of this drain tube 25 is a valve 26 shown as carried by one end of a lever 27 that is 'loosely pivoted at 28 to a lug on the lower end portion of the tube 25. This lever 27 is provided with a small weight 29 that keeps the lever 27 v.approximately horizontal and with the valve 26 (which is preferably a pliable washer) slightly spaced from but very close to the extreme lower end of the drain tube 25. lVith this arrangement, initial suction or partial vacuum within the tank 22 will cause valve 26 to tightly close the lower end of the drain tube 25 and such partial vacuum or suction will hold said valve closed as long as there is vacuum within the tank.

As soon as the pressure within the tank is restored to atmospheric pressure or nearly thereto, valve 26 will automatically open and permit the water tobe drained from the tank base. As already indicated, Yair drawn from the tank through the pump will be dischargedthrough the elbow 9 and nozzle 10.

The suction tube l1 will be connected to the apparatus or place where partial vacuum is used to operate vacuum-actuating devices. When used in connection with a milkuing apparatus, the pipe 11 will be extended or be connected to the vacuum chambers or vacuum-operating devices of the milking apparatus.

The device described is a complete selfcontained pump, tank and power unit capable of being assembled at the factory and shipped ready for use and, in actual practice, has been found highly eiiicient for the purposes had in View, and especially for use in connection with milking apparatus.

What I claim is:

l. A self-contained vacuum -producing unit comprising a vacuum pump with upstanding suction tube, a tank base applied around said suction tube, a motor-supporting shelf having a perforated end applied around said suction tube and clamped between said tank and base and an adjacent part of the pump casing, a motor mounted on said shelf and havingconnections for driving said pump, and an inverted vacuum tank having an open lower end gravityseated on said tank base and arranged to be seated with increased pressure' by suetion or partial vacuum produced in said tank when said pump is in operation.

2. The structure defined in claim l in which said pump has diametrically aligned oppositely projecting cylinders in symmetrical arrangement and in which said shelf hasI a supporting foot flange constructed to fit the top of either of said cylinders adapting the shelf to be supported in either of two positions.

3.v A vacuum-producing unit comprising a pan-like tank base, a tank gravity-seated onthe rim of said tank base, a suction tube extended through said base and upward into said tank to a point above the rim of said tank base, and means connected to said suction tube for producing partial vacuum 1n said tank, and a service suction tube connected to saidl base and communicating with j 

